Sidney Crosby (born August 7, 1987, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) is an amateur ice hockey player in the Qu颥c Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). His current position is center. He is a hockey prodigy who Wayne Gretzky predicts might one day break his NHL scoring records, an assessment that has led to the nickname, The Next One, which is actually a recycled nickname, originally belonging to Mario Lemieux and occasionally to Eric Lindros. Sidney Crosby became eligible for the NHL draft in 2005.

On July 22, 2005 the NHL, upon ratification of its new CBA, held its first league-wide draft lottery in its history and it was won by the Pittsburgh Penguins. On July 30, the Penguins selected Crosby in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft with the first overall pick. This will give Crosby the opportunity to play alongside the man to whom he has drawn several comparisons, Mario Lemieux.

Wayne Gretzky has said that Crosby would be considered for the 2006 Canada Olympic hockey team if his performance in the first half of the 2005-06 NHL season warrants it. Given the likelihood of his joining a team already blessed with Mario Lemieux and Mark Recchi, his scoring statistics may very well be where they need to in order for his consideration. In addition, Russian center Evgeni Malkin, who played against Crosby in the World Junior Hockey Championships and was drafted 2nd overall in 2004, is expected to come to terms with the Penguins in the coming weeks. The Penguins would then be playing the number one overall pick in 2003 (goalie Marc-Andre Fleury), number two in 2004 (Malkin), and number one in 2005 (Crosby).

Crosby was drafted first overall in the QMJHL Draft on June 7, 2003 by the Rimouski Oc顮ic. He won the scoring title and set a new scoring record for 16-year-olds in his rookie season in the QMJHL. He achieved 54 goals and 81 assists.

--Wikipedia